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MANILA, Philippines - The Quezon City prosecutors’ office has recommended the filing of charges against former board officers of the International Broadcasting Company for their alleged failure to remit the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation contributions of employees.
Chief city prosecutor Donald Lee granted the motion for reconsideration filed by Philhealth counsel Florecita Torreliza seeking to reverse the Feb. 13 resolution of assistant city prosecutor Alessandro Jurado who dismissed the case for lack of probable cause.
Charged with violating Section 44 of Republic 7875 or the National Health Insurance Act of 1995 are Mark Allan, Jay Yambao, Joselito Yabut, Victor Felipe, Lauro Vizconde, Juanito der Asis and Ricardo Ebcede.
Among the respondents when the case was first filed in 2009 was the late press secretary Cerge Remonde, but he died after suffering a heart attack on January 19, 2010.
In a resolution, Lee found merit in Philhealth’s appeal, adducing evidence to show the former board members were remiss in remitting the contributions.
A bail of P6,000 each was recommended for their provisional liberty.
Philhealth claimed the respondents allegedly incurred an outstanding obligation amounting to P6,153,825.00.
The amount is for IBC employees' Philhealth contributions and covered the periods of March to December 2004; January 2005 to December 2007; January to December 2008 and January to April 2009.
Philhealth sent a demand letter on May 28, 2009 to the IBC but this allegedly went unheeded.
Despite notices from the prosecutors' office, the respondents, during the preliminary investigation, failed to submit evidence in their defense.
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